Filling machines with magnetic stirrups



Oct. 18, 1955 G. 1.. N. MEYER FILLING MACHINES WITH MAGNETIC STIRRUPS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 20, 1953 INVENTOR.

0a. 18, 1955 L, N MEY 2,721,020

FILLING MACHINES WITH MAGNETIC STIRRUPS Filed July 20, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 a IN V EN TOR.

\ BY 5 01 0 Z/ /%ye/ I I filler/1 y Oct. 18, 1955 1 N. MEYER FILLING MACHINES WITH MAGNETIC STIRRUPS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 20, 1953 JNVENTOR. 62W, [/L fiyer BY Z A carney United States Patent 2,721,020 FILLING MACHINES WITH MAGNETIC STIRRUPS George L. N. Meyer, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Geo. J.

Meyer Manufacturing Company, Cudahy, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application July 20, 1953, Serial No. 368,953 Claims. (Cl. 226-96) This invention relates to a filling machine, and to an improved stirrup for use on a filling machine.

In filling machines it is the practice to arrange a plurality of filler valves about a circumference of a rotating filler bowl. A plurality of stirrups rotate about a common center with the filler bowl, and beneath the filler valves. Containers to be filled are customarily loaded onto the stirrups by an intake star wheel and are raised by the stirrups into engagement with the filler valves where filling occurs. When the containers are filled to the proper level the stirrups lower the containers and the containers are removed from the filling machine by a discharge star Wheel.

In a can filler the centrifugal force on the cans, together with the natural vibration of the machine (which fills 400-450 cans per minute) has a tendency to cause the cans to move on the stirrups prior to raising into engagement with the filler valves. In such can fillers there has heretofore been provided a plurality of shoulder pins (usually three to a stirrup) which are screwed into the top of the stirrups and against which the cans are positioned by the intake star wheel to center the cans directly under the filler valves.

Even when the centering shoulder pins were used the cans had a tendency to move away from the pins and to counteract this movement and assure the cans being lifted directly onto the filler valves, wipers were provided which maintained the cans in position against the shoulder pins.

In can fillers several sizes of cans are commonly used so that for each size can it was desired to run through the machine it was necessary to remove all the shoulder pins (three to each stirrup and about sixty stirrups to the machine) and replace them with pins of a difierent size. This change entailed considerable work and time. Such shoulder pins are not necessary in filling bottles since the weight of the bottle holds it firmly in position on the stirrup.

Filler valves at times fail for one reason or another to deliver any beverage to the container to be filled. When such failure occurs in filling cans, the unfilled can has a tendency to stick against the valve when the stirrup is lowered, and the subsequent free fall of the can could result in mechanical jamming and subsequent failure of the entire filler to operate.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a can filler which will constantly retain the cans accurately centered on the stirrups.

Another object is to provide a can filler which will insure smooth transfer of the cans onto and off the filling machine.

Another object is to provide a can filler which will prevent the cans from adhering to the filler valves when the stirrups are lowered.

A further object is to provide a can filler which will eliminate the necessity of shoulder pins and wipers to center the cans under the filler valves.

A further object of the invention is to provide a can filler which will automatically compensate for the centrifugal action of the filler.

A still further object is to provide a can filler which will retain the cans firmly in position on the stirrups during the pre-fill period on the filler.

A still further object is to provide a can filler which will be adaptable to various sizes of cans.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a filler that may be used to fill either cans or bottles with minimum changes in the machine.

A still further object of the invention is to provide stirrups for a can filler which will positively disengage the cans from the filler valves in the event of sticking.

Still further objects will become apparent from the following specification which when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings illustrates a preferred form of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical cross-section through a portion of a can filling machine showing the filler bowl, filler valve and can raising stirrup;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the can raising stirrups and star wheels and is a view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a single can raising stirrup constructed in accordance with the present invention, parts thereof being broken away to more clearly illustrate certain other parts; and

Fig. 4 is a cross-section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, the filling machine comprises a standard (not shown) which carries a plate 10 which extends from its central axis (not shown) to its outer circular periphery.

The plate 10 has a series of apertures spaced about its periphery which receive lifting cylinders 12. The cylinder 12 has a head 14 which receives a piston rod 15. The piston rod 15 is actuated pneumatically by a piston 16 through an air supply pipe 17. The piston rod 15 carries a lifting stirrup, generally designated 19, which raises the can into engagement with a filler valve 22.

The filler valves 22 are mounted in a filler bowl 24 directly above each of the stirrups 19, so that when the cans are raised against the filler valves 22 the valves may be opened to fill the cans with the beverage.

A stirrup 19 is shown in detail in Figs. 3 and 4. Referring to those figures the stirrup comprises a body portion 26 of brass, bronze or other non-magnetic material, with a clamp 28 'formed integrally thereon. The clamp 28 secures the stirrup onto the piston rod 15 through a cap screw 30 (Fig. 3).

The stirrup is provided with an annular well 32 which receives a ring magnet 34 of Alnico metal. The ring magnet 34 has lugs 42 of Alnico metal formed integrally thereon and spaced from each other and extending up wardly to a point adjacent the top of the well 32 to transmit the magnetism and give a uniform magnetic field adjacent the top of the stirrup.

Since Alnico metal is subject to rusting, the spaces between the magnet 34 and the cavity or well 32 are filled with paraflin 43 thus forming a protective coating for the magnet and securing the magnet in the well 32.

A cover plate 45 of a non-magnetic material, preferably a non-magnetic stainless steel, is secured to the top of the stirrup body 26 by machine screws 46 and completes the stirrup. The plate 45, having no raised portions or projections presents an unobstructed surface to the containers 48 to be filled.

The cans 48 (Fig. 4) enter the machine on a conveyor 50 (Fig. 2) where they are fed into a star wheel 52 by a timing screw 54. The star Wheel 52 moves the cans over a wear plate 55 and onto the stirrups 19, the cans 7 3 being retained in the star wheel by a combined intakedischarge can guide 56.

The cans 48 (two sizes of which are shown in Fig. 4) are raised into engagement with the filler valves .22 which fill the cans with the beveragefrom the filler bowl 24. After filling, the stirrups 12 lower the cans.

The magnetic action of the stirrups exerts a'positive force on the cans to hold the cans in fixed position on the stirrups and to remove the cans from the valves when the stirrups are lowered in the event the cans are stuck thereto.

As the cans are filled and lowered from the valves, they contact the discharg'e'edge of the can guide 56 and are moved off the filling machine by a discharge star wheel 58, and delivered to a crowner star 60. r

In practice the feed star 52 moves the cans onto the stirrups and places them accurately in position under the valves 22. The magnetic'stirrups 19 hold the cans in place as they are raised into engagement with the filler valves 22 and as they are lowered. Y

Since the stirrups present an unobstructed fiat surface, and since bottles do not move appreciably on the stirrups as the machine rotates, it follows that the present machine is readily adaptable to fill any size bottle or can.

It will be understood that the hereinbefore described form of the invention is to be taken merely as. a preferred embodiment thereof and that various changes insize, shape and arrangement of parts. may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or .the scope of the subjoined claims.

That which is a claimed as new and is desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a can filler, a filler valve adapted to supply material to a steel can, a stirrup adapted to raise the can into engagement with said valve for filling and to withdraw the can from the valve at the conclusion of the filling operation, and a magnetic element in said stirrup adapted to retain the can in position on the stirrup during the operation of the filler.

2. In a can filler, a valve adapted to supply material to a steel can, a stirrup adapted to raise the can into engagement with said valve. for filling and to withdraw the can from the valve at the conclusion of the fillingoperation, a non-magnetic cover plate on said stirrup and a magnetic element in said stirrup under said plate adapted to retain the can in position on the filler during 3. In a can filler, a filler valve adapted to supply material to a steel can, a stirrup adapted to raise the can into engagement with said valve: for filling and to withdraw f the can from the valve at the conclusion of the filling operation, and amulti-pole magnetic element in said stirrup adapted to retain the can in position on the. stirrup dur- 7 ing the operation of the filler.

4. In a can filler, a valve: adapted to supply material to a steel can, a stirrup. adapted to raise. the can into engagement: with said valve. for filling and to withdraw the can from the valve. at the conclusion of the filling operation, a non-magnetic cover plate on said stirrup and a multi-pole magnetic element in said stirrup under said plate adapted to retain the can in position on the filler during filling. V

5. In a can filler, a valve adapted to supply material to a steel can, a stirrup adapted to raise the can into engagement with said valve for filling and to withdraw the can from the valve at the conclusion of the filling operation, a flat'unobstructed non-magnetic cover plate on said stirrup and a magnetic element in said stirrup under said plate adapted to retain the can in position on the filler during filling.

6. In a can filler, a valve adapted to supply material to a steel can, a stirrup adapted to raise the can into engagement with said valve for filling and to withdraw the can from the valve at the conclusion of the filling operation, a flat unobstructed non-magnetic cover plate on said stirrup and a multir-pole magnetic element in said stirrup underrsaid plate adapted to reta1n the can in position on the filler during filling.

7. In a can filler, a filler valve adapted to supply mate-' rial to a steel can to be filled, a stirrup adapted to hold the can while it is on the filler, a magnetic element in said stirrup adapted to hold the can in position on said stirrup, and a star wheel adapted to deliver the can onto said stirrup in position for filling by said valve.

8. In a can filler, a filler valve, a stirrup adapted to raise and lower the can to and from filling position, a fiat unobstructed non-magnetic cover plate on said stirrup adapted to receive a can to be filled, and a multi-pole magnetic element beneath said cover plate adapted to retain the can in fixed position on the cover plate during movement thereof.

9. In a can filler, a filler valve, a stirrup beneath said valve, a flat unobstructed non-magnetic cover plate on said stirrup adapted to receive a can to be filled, a magnetic element beneath said cover plate adapted to retain the can in fixed position on the cover plate, and means to position the canon the stirrup in alinement with said valve. a

10. In a can filler, a filler valve, a stirrup beneath said filler valve, a flat unobstructed non-magnetic cover plate on said stirrup adapted to support a can to be filled, a multi-pole magnetic element beneath said cover plate adapted to retain the can in fixed. position on the cover plate and to ensure separation of the can from the filler valve at the termination of the filler operation, and means to position the can on the stirrup in alinement with said valve. 7

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

